Metis Music: Alberta Métis Fiddler Brianna Lizotte. The Fiddle Has Become A Ubiquitous Symbol of Métis Culture

Metis Music
Alberta Métis fiddler Brianna Lizotte.

The fiddle has become a ubiquitous
symbol of Métis culture.
Promotioinal photo from the NAC website.
As we go through this
topic you will:
1. Learn about the Métis song tradition, from its
earliest years to the present.
2. Learn about and listen some of the unique
aspects of Métis fiddling/dance.
Question of the Week
In what ways are contemporary Métis musicians
connecting with their Métis traditions, while making
music that has contemporary relevance? You may
wish to draw on Moe Clark’s video “Intersecting
Circles,” specifically the way that she weaves in
understandings (and symbols) of place and history.
You are welcome to reference other Métis musicians,
whether mentioned as part of this unit or not.
Métis jigger Auriele Diotte demonstrates some

steps at the Métis Heritage Days (Oshawa, ON).
Photo by Monique Giroux.
The Métis Song Tradition
Métis Songs Were Used To:
• Pass time during travel
• Entertain at home
• Record history (e.g., Battle of Seven Oaks)
• Transmit general knowledge about life in the past
• Pass down ways of life, sometimes as short ‘ditties’
ABOVE: Rufin Turcotte singing Falcon’s Song

ABOVE: Colorized photo of Pierre Falcon (1793– (Pierre Falcon’s song about the Battle of Seven
1876). Falcon is the first known Métis singer-
Oaks), field recording, circa 1963. The song was
songwriter. Many of his songs are still known
today. Image from the Manitoba Archives. composed in 1816.
The Métis Song Tradition
“I remember my great, great grandmother, Marie Swain-Bursie, she used to sing [this song].
My grandpa used to come home with his cronies...and they'd have a bottle of wine and
they'd be sitting there, you know. And they always sang this song, but when they sang it, they
would all cry. And finally I asked my grandmother Catherine, why are they crying every time
they sing that song. She said, it's because how sad the Métis lived a long time ago. She said
"lii Michif" [the Métis]. She said that's how they got sad when they sang that song because it
was talking about how pitiful the Métis were a long time ago...And, ah, I remember her sitting
there when they came home, they'd say, "Ashtum ma, ashtum, Marie." They'd want her to
sing, and so she'd go over there and she'd start singing that song. And then they'd all start
singing, and then they'd all start crying [laughs]. Just to remember how life was for them.”
–Kathy Moran, speaking to Giroux, June 16, 2019
The “Red River Jig”
The "Red River Jig" is both a tune and a dance. Here are a few things to listen for:
• The fiddle begins on its high notes, moving downward to the low notes. This is
similar to powwow and other Plains Indigenous singing (downward motion)
• The phrase structure is irregular. In a lot of Western music, the beat pattern is
regular, often 1, 2, 3, 4 (repeated throughout the tune). In this version of the Red
River Jig, the beat pattern is irregular (COUNT: 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
The tune continues in this irregular way to the end.
• The fiddle is accompanied by drums, guitar, and bass. This is common in
contemporary settings. Traditionally, the fiddle would have been accompanied by the
fiddler's feet, and likely no other instruments.
Questions of the Week (Forum Posts)
1. Discuss one artist or genre (e.g., pisiit, katajjaq, or fiddle or accordion songs) that
you find compelling. Explain your choice and provide a link to a relevant tune/song
(if available and appropriate).
2. In what ways are contemporary Métis musicians connecting with their Métis
traditions, while making music that has contemporary relevance? You may wish to
draw on Moe Clark’s TEDx talk, specifically the way that she weaves in
understandings (and symbols) of place and history. You are welcome to reference
other Métis musicians, whether mentioned as part of this unit or not.
In answering these questions, you should refer to the required reading and to the lecture (as relevant).

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Metis Music

Alberta Métis fiddler Brianna Lizotte.

Métis jigger Auriele Diotte demonstrates some

ABOVE: Rufin Turcotte singing Falcon’s Song

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